Piston packing



Y Aug.v 28, 1,945. D. M. vSMITH 2,383,825

' PIsToN PACKING Filved Jan.. 6, 1940 DALLAS Mig/IH f A :A RNEY" Patented Aug. 2s, `1945 PIs'roN PACKING Dallas M. SmithQKirkwood, Mo., assignorto McvQuay-Norris Manufacturing Company, St.

Louis, Mo., a corporation oDeIaWare Application January 6, 1940, Serial No. 312,760

5.01aims. (Cl. 309-45) My invention relates to piston packings and more particularly to multiple piece piston packings adapted to provide Aa uid tight seal between the piston and the cylinder in which the piston reciprocates.

Multiple piece piston packings as used heretofore, usually included a plurality of thin, resilient ring members formed of ribbon steel and adapted to contact the cylinder wall. The ring members were positioned in a ring groove of the piston and frequently the entire ring groove was occupied by the ring members positioned therein so k that adjacent faces of the ring members were in contact with each other. In some instances, however, it was desirabler to provide only a single pair of rngmembers and the remaining space in the ring groove was occupied by a spacer located between the ring members and arranged to maintain the ring members ina predetermined position axially of the ring groove. Various kinds of .f

spacers were used heretofore, including both resilient and non-resilient spacers which usually contacted the cylinder wall either because of their inherent resiliency or due to movement of the spacer inthe ring groove. l

' Sometimes, itis found desirable to prevent the spacer from engaging or contacting the cylinder wall Vby limiting radial expansion and movement of the spacer. In order that this mightl be accomplished successfully, my invention contem plates, in its broadest aspects, a'piston packing comprising one or more thin'resilient ring members of Athekind described` briey above anda spacer positioned adjacent thereto to occupy theremainder of the ring groove and to .mainta i n the ring members in a predetermined position axially thereof. Means are provided to permit only limited radial expansion and movement of the spacer whereby the spacer is prevented from contacting the cylinder wall. In the narrower'aspects'of my invention the means may include projections, such as pins, ears or teats protruding above the surface of the faceof a ring member adjacent .the spacer, or it may include ears formed on the spacer itself and arranged to yengage the --rear faces of the ring members.

Having thus briefly described my invention, on object .thereofis to provide a multiple piece piston packing which will provide a uid tight seal between the piston and ther cylinder in which the piston reciprocates. u

A more specic object of my invention is to provide a piston pac-king comprising .one or more ring members and a spacer which is prevented from contacting the cylinderfwall.byfvlimiting.

radial expansion and movement. thereof.

Y*Other objects and advantages will be `apparentr to those skilled in the art from'the followingdescription wherein reference is made to .the .drawing illustrating several preferred embodimentsof" my invention and'y wherein .like reference nu'-,V merals designatev like parts throughout' the seva.

eral views.

In the drawing,`

Fig. 1 is anl elevation ofa piston packing.con"

structed according to my invention vand showing the. packing located-inA a ring-groove of va piston. f i Y Fig,.2 is a horizontal'. section on the linel2`2 o f Fig. ,1.

Fig Bis a vertical section. on the line of Fig. 1. i

Fig 4 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 3 show` ing asecond embodiment of my invention. l

Fig.,5 is a plan view of airing member utilized in a third embodiment of my invention.

Fig.. 6 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 3.

showing a pair of ring members similar tothe ring member of Fig 5 located in the ring groove oi a piston and incorporated in a piston packing constructedV according to my invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing a fourth embodimentof my invention.

Fig. fshows aportion of a spacer having ears formed thereon and utilized in a fifth embodispacer of Fig, 8 located in they ring groove of a piston.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a ring member utilized in a sixth embodiment of my invention, and

Fig. l1 is avertical section showing the sixth `embodiment of my invention and showing the ring member of Fig.,10 located in a ring groove of a piston.

Referring to the figures, Aa multiple piece piston packing I is shownlocated in the lowermost ring groove 2 .of a piston 3 andcomprising .a pair of thin, resilient .ring members 4 formed of ribbon steel bent edgewise'and adapted to engage the cylinder wal1 5. Positionedv between the ring members .4 and adapted to separate the ringmembersfrom each other, lis a spacer B which, in the embodiment shown, is lformed also of ribbon steel bent flatwise and arranged to provide substantially U-shaped portions 1 joined by connecting portions-8 therebetween. By forming the spacer 6 as described above, the effective cross-sectional area of the spacer dened by the inner and outer peripheries thereof is greater than the cross-sectional area of the material from which the spacer is made. The spacer 6 is substantially circular in form so that it may be located conveniently vin the ring groove 2 of a piston 3; As is the usual custom, when the piston packing I is -used as an oil ring, opening-s 9 may-` be formed in the connecting portions 8,'asv shown 1in the drawing, or the openings may be formed in the U-shaped portions l so that oil scraped from the cylinder Walls by the ring members may pass from the ring groove into the interior of the piston.

The piston packing also may include a ring eX- A pander ID which preferably .is located in the ring groove between the bottom thereof and rearfaces of the ring members, and the expander is adapted and arranged to exert radial force on the' ring members so that the ring members, in'tu'rn, exert a. substantially high pressure per unit area on the cylinderwall. I

As implied above, the essenceof 'my invention is to provide a piston packing wherein radial expansion and movement of4v the spacer' isnlimited so that the spacer will not engage or contact'the cylinder wall 5. In Figs. l, 2 and 43, radial ex-k pansionof the spaceris limitedby pins II attached tothe ring'members 4 and projectingbeyond the faces of the ring members adjacent the spacer 6. In Fig. 4, radial eimansion'V ofthe Vspacer s' is umia by teats; izf' pressed-'nom the ring membersli and protruding beyond the su'rfaces'ofk the 'faces of the ring members adjacent the spacer 6. In the embodiments of Figs., 1 to 4, inclusive; described above, the projectingsurfaces engage the connecting portions 8 oi the spacer and thereby limit radial expansion thereof' so thatfthe spacer 6 cannot engage the cylinder Wall 5.

In FigsgL ando, radial expansion of the spacer 6 is limited by 'a flangeA i3 formed atA the 'outer edge of the ringrmembersjd and 'projectingbe-- yond the surfacesof the `faces of the ring' members adjacent the spacer BmFigi 'l shows lsubstantially the same means for limiting radial .exe pansion ofthe ring members-asis shown in-Fivg. 6 except' that .the ring members 4 are-'bent'slight-f ly at their outer ,edges .instead of having nangesf i3 formed thereon. In the embodiments offFigs. 5,`6 and '1,A the projectingsu'rface onfthering members' 4 extends completely around theringY members and at its outer extremity it vengages-ltheY cylinder wall and. at rits linner extremity itengages the U-shapedportionsfl ofthe spacer 8 to limit radial expansion and movement there` of and to prevent the spacer E from* engaging the cylinder wall 5.

"In the embodiment ofFigs. 8 and 9, projectingA ears |13 are formed `on vthe spacer 'lV itselfA and these ears engage the rear lfaces of the ringmembers 4 and thereby limiti radial expansion'of the spacer 6. In the embodiment of Figs.'10vandlll, projections are formed on the ring` members 4 by slotting the rear portion ofthe ring members at intervals and bending the slotted portions I so that they protrude above the', surface of the faces ofthe ring members adjacent the spacer E:

As in the embodiments of 'ig's.ited,v inclusive, the projections of the embodimentsh'own in Figs.

1G and ll'engage the' connecting portions 8 lof the spacer, S to limit radial expansion fthverelf.A

l As stated above projections'on the ring mem# bersA or ears ori-'the spacer 6 limit radial expan'f sionand-,movement of thefspacer so thatfthe spacer cannot engage" or contact the' ,cylinderwall' and, inv thisway, Wear ofthe spacer by `such con-- include only a single ring member, and the pro-:f jections on the ring member then may be formed tact is avoided. Also, if the spacer 6 is made of y resilient material, the force per unit area of the ring members 4 on the cylinder wall 5 is increased an amount equal to the force exerted on the ring members by the spacer since radial expansion of the spacer is limited by the projections on the ring members.

While I have described vseveral embodiments of my invention it is yto be understood that I do not limit myself to the forms and arrangements "shown and described because other arrange- However, it, should be understood thatiany conf.v

venient number may be used, as exemplified in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, Where the projecting surface exi;

tends completely'around each ring member."

Although, the embodiments shown in the. draw` ing, each include a pair of ring members 4, it should be understood that the piston packing may on the face of the ring member4 adjacent the spacer.

What I claim as new and desire to secure: byr

Letters Patent is:

1. A piston packing comprising a pair'of thin resilient ring members formed of A,ribbon steel. and adapted 'to engage the cylinder wall, a spaceipositioned between said ring members and formed of ribbon material bent atwise and arrangedl to,v provide substantially U,shaped portions joii'iecll` by connecting portions therebetween,said'spacerk being substantially circular in form and being" arranged so that the eifective y :,r'oss 's ect`ional` area of the spacer dened by the inner andbtlier.y

peripheries thereof is greaterv than the .crosssectional area of the-material from whichthev spacer'is made and so that portions'ofthe ,outer face of said spacer are positioned a .considerable'f distance inwardly" fromthe cylinder H'engaging faces of said'ring members, and `vsaid ring' rnernl bers having projections formed o'rifaces]thereof,l removed from the cylinder wall and adjacent said'` spacer and'adapted to engage saidspacer at saidf portions sc that radialexpansi'on thereof is'lim ited andso that portions of said spacerL adjacent' saidy cylinder,vvallcannotv come in contactth'eref with, and a ring expander positioned between .the-` bottom of said ring groove andtherear faces-off said ring members and adapted'to exert radiall force on said ring members. f

2. A piston packing comprising a thin positioned adjacent said ring member and far--Y ranged to maintain said ring 'memberinsub'f stantially predetermined axial positionin theringf' groove of a piston in which said packing'is-use'd,1

said ring member having at least rtwfjfspaced protuberances on a face thereof adjacents said5 spacer, said spacer lbeing shaped andarrang'edfsb? that portions of saidspacer extend radially out-. wardly beyond said protuberances and othe'p'pmf;

tions of said spacer are positioned? beliiridsaid yprctuberances and in engagement'therewi'thftd limit radially outward movementy of 'the spacer:

"resilient ring member formedvof ribbon material and adapted to engage the cylinder wall, a spacer relative to said ring member and to limit relative circumferential movement betweeny said member and said spacer.

3. A Ipiston packing comprising a thin resilient ring member formed of ribbon material and spacer, the U-shaped portions of said spacer extending radially outwardly beyond said protuberances and being arranged therebetween to permit only limited circumferential movement of said spacer yrelative to said ring member, certain of said -connecting -portions of said spacer being positioned behind said protuberances and in engagement therewith to permit only limited radiall movement of said spacer relative to said ring member.

4. A piston packing comprising, a thin resilient ring member formed of ribbon material and adapted to engage the cylinder wall, a spacer positioned adjacent said ring member andr arranged to maintain said ring member in substantially predetermined axial position in the ring groove of the piston in which said packing is used, said ring member having at least two spaced protuberances on a face thereof adjacent said spacer and located adjacent the inner periphery of said ring member, said spacer being shaped and arranged so that a plurality of portions of said spacer extend radially outwardly substantially beyond said protuberances to a point nearer to the outer periphery of the ring member than to the inner periphery thereof, and other vportions of said spacer being positioned behind said DI9- tuberances and in engagement therewith to limit radially outward movement 'of the spacer relative to said ring member and to limit relative circumferential movement between said ring member and said spacer.

5. A piston packing comprising a thin, resilient ringv member formed of ribbon material and adapted to engage the cylinder wall, a spacer positioned adjacent said ring member and arranged to maintain said ring member in substantially predetermined axial position in the ring groove of a piston in which said packing is used, sai-d spacer having substantially U-shaped portions and connecting portions therebetween, said ring -member having at least two spaced protwberances on the face thereof adjacent said spacer and located adjacent the inner periphery of said ring member, the U-shaped portions of said spacer extending radially outwardly substantially beyond said protuberances toa point nearer to the outer periphery of the ring member than to the inner periphery thereof and being arranged therebetween to limit circumferen- ,tial movement of said spacer relative to said ring member, certain of said connecting portions of said `spacer being positioned behind said prot/uberances and in engagement therewith to limit radial movement of said spacer relative to said ring member.

DALLASy M. SMITH. 

